Athens Acropolis

About the Acropolis

Athens is the capital and largest city of Greece, known for its iconic Acropolis and rich ancient heritage. The city combines classical Greek architecture with modern development, featuring the Parthenon, Ancient Agora, and vibrant Mediterranean culture.

Rising about 150 metres above the city, the limestone hill was fortified in Mycenaean times and later rebuilt as a sanctuary after the Persians sacked it in 480 BC. Under Pericles, the Parthenon was constructed between 447 and 432 BC by the architects Iktinos and Kallikrates, with sculptural work directed by Pheidias and dedicated to Athena Parthenos, the city's patron goddess; the Erechtheion and the Propylaia followed. Because the temple honoured the deity from whom Athens took its name, the site came to stand for the city itself, a link reinforced when Greece gained independence in the 1830s and began restoring it. UNESCO listed the Acropolis in 1987, and it remains the most recognisable image of Athens.